Sinister Pointe has Sinister Intentions.. to Scare the Hell Out of You

Sinister Pointe is a year-round haunted attraction in Brea, California. When it’s not Halloween season they’re using the location for special events such as birthdays and also movie filming. They also have the haunt set-up during special times such as Valentine’s Day and Christmas. We’ve been big fans of Sinister Pointe and since we heard there were a lot of changes we decided to check it out.

Since their Dark Market on April 21st, pretty much everything is new. Sure they still have the vendors outside selling everything from souvenirs to food and the queue line and entrance (a run-down house in the woods) are the same, but that’s pretty much it. The maze is still a choose-your-own adventure style, interactive haunt but they’ve really upped the ante.

The theme of the maze is inbred, hillbilly cannibals. The actors have bigger speaking roles this year and interact more with the guests. The actors use the sets perfectly and will get you as there’s a lot of distractions and scenery to see, so you wont notice them until they’re already in your face. You’ll walk through the house, outdoors and even the garage.

Like we said, this maze is interactive. Depending on which route you choose, they have the most suspenseful set-up we’ve seen in a maze yet. You’ll have to crawl into the pitch dark until you can stand. This is kind of like a maze-inside-a-maze, just be careful what you bump into. Also inside the haunt you’ll have to press buttons or reach into boxes. There’s one scene even where you’ll pull a rope and receive a comedic outcome.

One of the new things we liked most this year was the swamp with the bridge. A hillbilly maniac asks you why you’re at his bridge and after a mechanical surprise asks you why you broke it. While you’re being distracted by him there might be something lurking in the water to surprise you. There was also a disorienting hallway that seems to be shaking, One of the inbred will come up to you and ask you if you like ice-cream and point to a picture on the wall. This is funny, but also creepy.

The monsters in the maze are athletic, thrilling and most important motivated to scare. They love what they do and it shows. At one point when we were walking in the dark we saw a face appear out of nowhere. There was no yelling or jump-scares, just a face. This left us wondering, “what the heck was that”? The actor obviously had experience as he got us the most just by standing absolutely still.

We highly recommend Sinister Pointe. The maze is scary but also fun. The actors have got their art down to a T and the sets are amazing. You’ll really feel like you’re in the home of some demented folks. The scene with the bridge was incredible, because it actually suspends your belief and makes you feel like your outside. Even if you’ve been there some other time this year, we still suggest you go and wish we had more time to visit again this season.